Areva says talks with Finland's TVO are "difficult"

PARIS, May 24 (Reuters) - French state-controlled nuclear
group Areva said on Tuesday that talks with its
Finnish customer TVO about the long-delayed Olkiluoto 3 reactor
were "difficult".

Areva and Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) are claiming billions
of euros from one another because of delays and cost overruns on
the EPR reactor that Areva is building in Olkiluoto, Finland.

"The discussions with TVO are difficult, but the door
remains open. Our priority remains the successful completion of
OL3," an Areva spokeswoman said.

French daily Le Monde reported on Tuesday that the Areva-TVO
talks had broken down in recent weeks.

The two parties have taken their dispute to the
International Chamber of Commerce's (ICC) arbitration court
which is expected to take years to resolve.

But the French government early this year had asked Areva to
speed up the talks as the issue is blocking a planned takeover
of Areva's nuclear reactor division by utility EDF, which does
not does not want to take on any Olkiluoto-related liabilities.

Earlier this month, Areva chief executive Philippe Knoche
told a French parliament committee that talks with TVO were
progressing but had not been conclusive.
(Reporting by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Laurence Frost and
Jane Merriman)